Crazy Sock Exchange

I can't believe it has been over 2 months since I have blogged last! Life really has been so busy that I have not had a second to sit down and blog!

As of 2016 I will be taking my blog into a new direction! My focus will be more on content and examples of what I am doing in my classroom. 

I have looked back at some of my old blog posts and all I did was prompt my TpT shop, linky parties and freebies. Don't get me wrong, you will see some of my new products I have had in the works, but this blog won't be that focus. 

To start off this new focus, I want to share something super fun my 5th graders did this year for Christmas!

For the past 6 years, I have always done a mug exchange with a Polar Express party. Since I'm teaching a new grade this year, I wanted to try something new. I bring you...the Crazy Sock Exchange!

Every student brought in a pair of crazy socks filled with goodies. Their max spending cost was $10, which included the cost of the sock.

The day of the exchange, the students grabbed their own sock and sat in a circle.

Next, I read a story I found on Pinterest. Every time they heard RIGHT, they would pass it to the right. Every time they heard LEFT, they would pass it to the left.

(don't mind my horrible voice)

You can get the story {HERE}

Once we were done, everyone was able to open the sock they ended up with! It was so much fun!

I had everyone put on their sock and we took a class picture!

I did have a few students who brought socks that were not holiday socks, some boys ended up with more girly socks, some girls got more boyish socks, and some socks didn't fit. But overall, I would totally do this again. Maybe a boy/girl circle instead.

To end our week, our Hawaiiana teacher came and helped my students sing The 12 Days of Christmas...Hawaiian Style!

Enjoy!

The most adorable parent Christmas gift...EVER:)

I know, this is a bit late and I believe we are all on break already! But it is WAY TOO CUTE not to share! Pin it for next year maybe???

So I went searching on Pinterest of course for some cute parent gift ideas. But where I found this idea was from Stephanie's linky party over at 3rd Grade Thoughts!

A few weeks ago she was hosting a holiday linky!

I didn't have anything to link up with but I just knew I had to look! Even though I don't teach Pre-K...I stopped over at Mrs. Goff's Pre-K Tales and found just what I was looking for!

She posted about these adorable tree ornaments with a cut out picture of her students! Yup...that's what I did! But I put my own spin on it!

I too started out by taking each students picture wearing a hat and standing in a silly pose!

Then I cut each picture out (here are a few)

Then the pictures were hot glued to a snowflake ornament from Walmart!

BUT...before I glued them to the ornament, our class did something special with each picture!

I made a winter background card and we placed each picture on it! The kids had so much fun helping me arrange it so it was just right!

Then I took a picture of this and sent it into Walgreens to make a class photo card for their families!

and yes...there is a typo:( Ugh...I was SO mad when I saw this! Oh well!

The kids came back the next day (they took them home Thursday) and told me their parents LOVED it! I will be doing this next year for sure!

What did you have your students make for their parents???

We hope you're having a "cool" day-R.A.C.K idea for your class!

Just a quick stop to show you what I plan on having my class do this week!

Tomorrow we are going to talk about random acts of kindness and how we can make a difference in helping others! I plan on having the kids watch some videos then making a list how we can help others!

Every day this week I plan on placing one of these cards with a York Peppermint Patty in their mailbox. I am just doing to select random teacher's boxes! 

I hope this brings a little cheer to their day!

If you would like these cards, just leave a comment with your email and I will send them out later tonight! 

Have a great week!